


Storm in a Bottle

by Beshrew_My_Very_Heart



Category: Glee
Genre: Kissing, M/M, Swearing, bottle episode, tense conversation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:00:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28275714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beshrew_My_Very_Heart/pseuds/Beshrew_My_Very_Heart
Summary: When two cars end up in a snowbank, Kurt Hummel and David Karofsky end up sitting in a mechanics waiting room. A conflict that never got a chance to be completed plays out again.
Relationships: Kurt Hummel/David Karofsky
Comments: 11
Kudos: 29
Collections: Secret Santa 2020 - Dave Karofsky Discord





	Storm in a Bottle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SamaraKurtofsky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamaraKurtofsky/gifts).



The snow falling outside had only grown worse in the time it had taken the two fathers and two sons to leave the snow drift their cars had been buried in. They had made their way to the nearby mechanics store, silhouetted against the snow with neon lights, to be wrapped in blankets and handed hot chocolate whilst a tow truck made its way to pull the cars to the store. 

“Alright, you? There.” Burt Hummel gestured to one of the many seats in the mechanics waiting room, the one closest to the water machine as they entered, and Kurt quickly moved to sit in the terribly uncomfortable plastic seat. He smiled thankfully as one of the mechanics pulled in an old electric heater and set it up next to the door. Burt turned to the other person following him pointing to the seat on the opposite side of the room next to the vending machine, “You? There.” 

David Karofsky looked like he might argue against the command, but the sight of his own father further into the building, quietly discussing the situation with one of the mechanics seemed to mollify him a little. He slipped into the other seat, pulling his letterman jacket tighter around him and glaring the whole time. Burt looked between them once and then looked at Kurt, “I’m just outside. You shout, I’ll be right in.”

“Yes dad.” Kurt rolled his eyes at the overprotective sentiment, but one glance over at David made him thankful that his dad would be within earshot at least. He straightened his blazer, trying to regain control of the situation. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

Burt gave Dave one last suspicious look before he stepped outside, closing the door behind him with what had likely been a satisfying noise for himself, but for Kurt, it felt like a nail in a coffin. He finished straightening his clothes, sparing one last glance at David, before he pulled out his phone to send his apologies to the girls of Glee Club who had been waiting for him. Their movie marathon would have to wait until he was able to safely travel. 

“Are you texting your boyfriend?” 

Dave’s voice was full of scorn, and Kurt looked up from his phone with his best dismissive look, even as his heart thumped harder in his chest.

“If it were, David, why would I ever tell you?” His tone was as cutting as he could possibly manage, but it only caused a flash of something to pass over David’s face for a moment before it faded into ambivalence.

He held David’s gaze for a moment longer, waiting for David to look away, before he turned his attention back to Rachel’s declarations of his betrayal, smiling despite himself and penning a quick apology and vague explanation of the accident.

“What? He need you to pick up more cement for his hair on the way?”

Kurt sighed, and looked up again to find David recovered from his original put down, staring at him again, “If you must know, I’m texting Rachel Berry to apologise for missing our movie night.”

Dave frowned, pulling a rubber band out of his jeans pocket and beginning to twist it around his fingers, “I’d have thought you’d have been doing that kind of thing with whatever his name was,” he said, and then added in a mocking tone, “movies and dates and shit.”

“If you’re talking about Blaine, the major issue there would be that he isn’t my boyfriend, David.” Kurt muttered, his face flushing a little in embarrassment. He quickly turned his attention back to his phone, annoyed that David had apparently won a point in this staring competition they were having. “Whilst he is a friend and ally, that is where our relationship currently resides.”

“Oh…”

Kurt glanced back up and narrowed his eyes at Dave’s small smile and slightly more relaxed posture. “It amuses you that I don’t have a boyfriend?”

“What? No. I never said that–“ Dave reared back, his smile fading instantly.

“You might be laughing now, David, but I’m at a school full of boys who fall all across the sexuality spectrum. Meanwhile, you bullied the only other gay boy you know out of the school.” Kurt snapped venomously. “So I think I’m ahead here.” He looked down at his phone again, pretending to send a message.

“I wasn’t laughing at you,” Dave confessed after a moment, and Kurt heard the rubber band twang loudly. Kurt made a vague noise of frustration, and the two lapsed into silence for a few minutes. The sounds of a mechanics shop were familiar to Kurt, though it was hard to hear much over the hum of the electric heater. At least it was getting warm enough in here that he didn’t feel like he was going to vibrate out of his skin. He was about to start looking for his headphones, when David spoke again: “Why’re you still wearing that lame-ass uniform?”

Kurt grit his teeth and looked up again, shoving his phone into his pocket and turning to face David properly. “I’m sorry?”

“What? Did you leave all your clothes at home?” David twanged the rubber band again loudly in the silence.

“Most of them, I did.” Kurt gestured around dramatically, “It turns out when you’re forced to live a couple of hours away from home, with a roommate who snores like an elephant, there isn’t a lot of space for haute couture in the closets, who would have guessed? Besides which, I’m not allowed to wear anything except the uniform on school grounds.”

It was Dave who looked away this time, his face twisting into a dark look, but Kurt continued to stare him down. It took him a moment to realise he was still being observed, and he looked up to Kurt quickly, “What?”

“Why do you care what I’m wearing?”

“You look like one of those Stepford kids.” Dave snorted, gesturing at Kurt with the hand that wasn’t wrapped up in the rubber band, “It’s like you got shoved in some alien pod, and now you’re a clone.”

“The uniform is mandatory. Whilst I do appreciate that it’s a school of well-dressed boys, it is terrible for my self-expression.” Kurt sighed, and then shrugged as the familiar arguments against Dalton welled up in his mind, “One of the many things I have given up.”

“What else have you given up?” Dave rolled his eyes incredulously, “Dalton’s got way better teachers, way more gay students, its own glee club-“

“I gave up my friends, my family, my individuality–“ Kurt snapped, surging to his feet. “I gave it all up, just to keep your secret!”

“I never asked you to!”

“You literally did, you oaf!” Kurt threw his hands up and began to pace, trying to burn off some of the frustration, “You threatened to kill me if I told anyone!”

“I–“ David was clearly about to shout something in return, but his head swivelled towards the door, before he suddenly sunk into his seat like he had been deflated. Kurt only just heard the sound of footsteps over the heater, and managed to drop into his chair just before the door creaked open.

“Everything okay in here?” Paul asked, looking between the two of them, his voice concerned. “Thought I heard some shouting.”

“Everything is fine, Mr. Karofsky,” Kurt said, smiling politely. Paul nodded at him, and then turned to Dave, who shrugged.

“All right then…” Paul frowned at the two of them for a moment, but stepped out, letting the door close behind him. 

Kurt huffed, and moved to get his phone out again when Dave coughed, before quietly saying, “I’m sorry.”

Kurt sighed, letting go of his phone. It was like a balloon of tension had been deflated in the room, and he didn’t have the energy to argue again. “You can’t control when your dad walks in.“

“I’m sorry that I said that to you. I was terrified, I’d… been terrified for so long, and being scared is what made me not say anything to anyone. I guess some part of me thought if you were scared, you wouldn’t be able to tell anyone either.” Dave shook his head. “Or that you would tell everyone.”

“I wouldn’t tell anyone, David,” Kurt sighed, rubbing his face. “I’ve never had the opportunity to be in the closet. Everyone has always known on some level. I wouldn’t force you to go through what I went through, even if you deserve it.”

“Do you think I deserve it?” Dave asked quietly, unable to meet Kurt’s eye, looking impossibly small on the cheap waiting room seat.

“No. Nobody deserves it.” 

They sat in silence for a few more moments, just the hum of the heater, and the occasional twang of the rubber band, breaking the tense atmosphere. Kurt could feel his phone vibrate occasionally with a message, but there was something about the idea of checking it suddenly felt very distasteful. Instead he found himself staring at the tiles on the floor, his eyes tracing the disjointed way that they twisted back and forth.

“Finn was almost ready to tell me I should move back to McKinley, you know?” Kurt admitted when his eyes finally reached Dave’s feet. “After the zombie football game, I think that he thought… well, that you had seen the light.”

“I enjoyed it.” Dave admitted quietly, and then his face twisted into a snarl, “and I fucking hated myself for enjoying it. Like, how much of a stereotype am I?”

“I think it was a nice release for you to be able to express some of the things you’re keeping locked down, in a way that you could disavow.” Kurt offered quietly, but he could tell that Dave heard him from the way he flinched, “You have trouble committing to being the real you, instead of the much less pleasant person you pretend to be.”

“Screw you.” Dave snapped, turning the full force of his glare onto Kurt, “I just don’t want to be slushied every day for the rest of my life. I don’t have your friends, Hummel. Nobody’s waiting outside the closet with a pride parade for me.”

“Because you push away anyone who would be okay with it,” Kurt matched Dave’s intensity, shuffling forward on the seat, “If you’d told Finn you couldn’t join Glee Club because you’re–“

“Don’t say it.”

“Because you’re gay, David.” Kurt hissed the word, and tried not to find some enjoyment in the way that David winced, “If you’d told him that, he’d have understood and been on your side. But you just shoved him away.”

“And how do you know? Has he been telling you about his day, whilst you give him a quick blowjob before bed.” Dave sneered.

Kurt rolled his eyes hard. “Because we talk, David. When was the last time you had an actual conversation about anything, instead of joking or insulting someone?” 

Dave narrowed his eyes, but his lack of an answer  _ was  _ the answer. Kurt shrugged, his point made, and turned to help himself to a cup of water. If Puck couldn’t make him uncomfortable with sexual innuendo, David stood no chance. And it was clear that David was just trying to deflect attention from himself.

The twanging returned, and Kurt tilted his head as he heard one of the lifts start in the main bay. If they were lifting it up, he doubted they were going to be getting out of here anytime soon. 

“Have you been getting any at your gay school?”

Kurt rolled his eyes at David’s question, hearing the twanging starting again. “I’m not talking to you about that.”

_ Twang _

“Why not?”

_ Twang _

“Because it’s none-”  _ Twang  _ “-none of your business, David.”

_ Twang _

“So is that a yes?”

_ Twang. Twang. Twang. _

“No! David, for the love of Gaga, I’ve not been  _ getting any  _ at Dalton.” Kurt scoffed, the noise of the rubber band frustrating him more each time. “Stop doing that! Why are you so obsessed with my sex life?”

“I dunno,” Dave hunched down, the rubber band going slack, “maybe I want to know if there’s any hope for me.”

“Any hope for–“ Kurt frowned, suddenly feeling a little guilty. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, let’s face it. If you can’t find a guy to have sex with you, how am I ever going to do it?”

Kurt blinked and then shook his head almost amused, “David, trust me. I mean this in the most scathing indictment of Dalton possible, but you would clean house there.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dave frowned, straightening his back.

“They consider  _ me  _ rough and tumble. You’d be like… a wrecking ball of masculinity to the boys there who are interested in boys,” Kurt rolled his eyes, his eyes tracing over the swell of David’s arms instinctively even through the Letterman Jacket, “but you shouldn’t. I know I’m in the minority here, but I think you should wait until it matters.”

“Who gets to decide when it matters?” Dave settled a little, his face a little flush. “Maybe I just don’t want to be alone.”

“Is that why you kissed me? Because you didn’t want to be alone?” Kurt asked, and he watched a flash of emotion run across Dave’s face before settling as his lips curled in a sneer, Kurt rolled his eyes, and cut him off before he could speak, “No, you know what? If you’re going to do that, I don’t want to know.”

“What do you mean?” The dismissal cut David off short, and whatever venom he’d been about to spit turned into confusion.

“You clearly had a bunch of conflicting feelings, and then decided to bury them under anger. And I’m not interested in being your emotional punching bag.” Kurt shrugged, pulling out his phone.

“So you’re gonna tell me to talk about stuff and then not listen?” Dave snapped, and Kurt rolled his eyes, “The fuck am I supposed to do with that?”

“If you want to talk about what happened, we can do that. But if you’re just going to be an asshole, I’d rather you kept that to yourself.” 

Dave glared at him for a long minute, and then started twanging his rubber band again. Kurt rolled his eyes and went to turn back to his phone when Dave spoke quietly. “I kissed you because I’ve been attracted to you since freshman year, and I couldn’t find a way to say the words.” 

Kurt froze, almost looking back to Dave, but catching himself at the last moment, “Then why–”

“Because after, you looked at me with this look of like...horror and fear, and I knew it’d never be anything other than-”

“Don’t tell me how I would have been,” Kurt snapped, and the twanging went quiet, “I was confused and lost, and you started slamming around and avoiding me. I came to try and talk to you!” 

“With a guy who looked like a used car salesman moonlighting at a lawyer!” Dave scoffed, “ I thought he was your boyfriend, and that I’d been in love with a guy who was already with a guy. Plus you start talking about it out there, in the open, where anyone could hear...”

“You didn’t give me much of an option! What was I supposed to do? Try and drag you into a closet in between classes? Leave you notes in your locker?” 

“Yes! Any of those things! Ask one of your jock friends for my number!” Dave threw his hands up just as dramatically as Kurt had ever achieved, “I didn’t know who he was! I didn’t know who else you had told!”

“Well, now you know. I didn’t tell anyone but Blaine.” Kurt sunk into his seat sullenly, “I wanted to help, and I wanted you to stop.” 

“Well, I can’t help being attracted to you.” 

“I meant stop bullying me!” Kurt surged upright again, “You can be attracted to the only gay kid you know, David. That’s a perfectly normal state of affairs, but bullying me until I’m having nightmares, until I flinch every time I hear a locker slam? That’s not okay.” 

“Well, I don’t know how to fix that!”

“By changing! By proving you’re not the kind of person who would do that anymore!”

“By joining the Glee Club?!”

“Maybe! I don’t know, David! 

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

David flexed his hand and the rubber band shot across the room, landing part way between them, but Dave’s attention was on shoving his hand into his pocket and pulling out a beat-up phone, that he tapped aggressively for a few seconds. Kurt blinked as Dave stood up, holding it to his ear, and paced back and forth for a moment, before he turned to look at Kurt.

“Hudson, I’m joining the Glee Club.” 

“Oh for the love of-” Kurt buried his face in his hands. “You’re being ridiculous.” 

“Yep! I’ve thought it through, I’m joining, and I want you to make sure I join, because I’m gay, and I need some fucking support in not being a complete asshole. Good? Cool? Alright, fuck you, goodnight.” Then he shoved it back into his pocket, and threw his hands up, “Are you happy? Have I been punished enough yet that I can stop being guilty?”

“The Glee Club isn’t a punishment, you insufferable–” Kurt jumped to his feet and strode towards Dave. “I didn’t tell you to out yourself! I don’t want you to be punished for anything! I want you to be happy and settled enough in yourself, that you don’t feel like you need to be punished.” 

“Well, that’s not going to happen, because I’m the exact person that I’m afraid of coming after me, and I don’t know how to be anything else!”

“You clearly do, because it wasn’t some monster who kissed me in that locker room!” Kurt poked him in the chest, “It was some poor, scared, gay kid who needed help. And I wanted to help, but you pushed me away, before I had a chance to do anything.” 

“Well, I’m not pushing you away now am I?!” David stepped closer, trapping Kurt’s hand between their bodies, “So what’re you going to do!”

“I–” Kurt hesitated, and Dave’s face turned to heartbreak for a moment, before being swallowed by a sneer.

“That’s what I thought. You talk a big game about me being a coward, but you spend all your time pretending that you’re above everyone, when really you’re–” 

Kurt’s hand shot up and grabbed Dave’s collar, pulling his down and in as their lips clashed violently. It was nothing like the chaste kiss that Kurt had imagined, or the passionate but one sided one he had received in the locker room as their mouths opened, and tongues tangled. Dave’s hands immediately came to Kurt’s waist, pulling him flush against his body as Kurt’s hand slipped up from his lapels, into Dave’s hair, and directing the kiss. 

“Kurt, Finn just called me saying–” 

Kurt pulled back suddenly, eyes wide as he looked at the doorway where Burt and Paul were standing with one of the engineers, looking somewhere between confused and mortified. 

“Dad, I–” 

“Well...” Burt mumbled, turning to Paul, “This...” 

“Yeah. We should probably talk about this.” Paul nodded, his face impassive, “Looks like the Hummel’s car isn’t going anywhere tonight. The storm died down though. Why don’t we drive you and Kurt home, and then tomorrow morning, we can all go get… coffee, and discuss... this.” 

“Yeah, that’s probably...” Burt shook his head lightly, “Yeah, good idea. Thanks Paul.” 

“Trust me, I’m gonna need you to pay me back with some quick lessons on  _ this  _ whole thing.” Paul made a vague gesture, and as Kurt felt Dave seem to shrink in on himself, he felt himself filling with righteous indignation. He took a half step in front of David, almost shielding him with his body.

“There’s no need for any kind of lessons. David is the exact same son you had when we walked into this shop. This is no more embarrassing than if you’d walked in on him making out with a girl. If David decides he wants to tell you something, that will come on his own time, but you shouldn’t assume anything based on this.” 

Paul blinked and held up his hands nervously, “I stand corrected. I shouldn’t assume anything.” 

“That’s right,” Kurt said, tilting his head up, “You shouldn’t–” 

“Dad, I’m gay.” 

Kurt blinked, the attention turning to Dave, who was looking at him with a strangely vulnerable, but hopeful look. Kurt swallowed his own fear, and offered him a reassuring smile. He tried to project:  _ You’re okay. You’re going to be okay,  _ and he had to hope it was successful as Dave finally looked away from him to his dad. 

“I’m gay, Dad...” he repeated, his voice catching in his throat.

“Oh, Dave–” Paul said softly, and Kurt watched as the dam broke and tears began to run down Dave’s face. Paul crossed the room in three long steps and threw his arm around Dave. After a few seconds of the hug, they both retracted, Dave rubbing at his face as if it somehow made it less obvious he had been crying.

“Okay, let’s... get everyone home.” Paul put a hand on Dave’s shoulder. “I love you, kid.” 

Dave nodded, and Paul gently began herding them all towards the door. Kurt paused though, feeling something move under his foot. He ducked down, lifting his foot to reveal the elastic band that Dave had been playing with. David looked back at him in confusion, and Kurt carefully lifted it, ignoring the parts of his mind that pointed out how gross it was, before gently pulling it over his wrist. Burt and Paul were talking quietly to the mechanic, and Kurt moved to catch up with David in the doorway of the waiting room, as David held the door open for him.

“I’m going to have to answer so many questions when I get home,” Kurt said quietly, and Dave shrugged.

“Yeah, I bet my dad’ll have a lot too.” 

“Oh, I’m not talking about my dad. I’m going to have to deal with Finn.” Kurt offered a small smile, “What should I tell him?” 

“I... tell him whatever you think is best,” David’s face turned a little more guarded, and Kurt nodded thoughtfully.

“Okay. And then, maybe, I ask him for your number and you can tell me how it goes with your dad?” 

“Yeah?” There was a flicker of hope in Dave’s eyes, and he looked down, smiling, “Yeah, that’d be cool.” 

Kurt stepped out of the room completely, watching as Dave let go of the door, and Paul looked back with a small nervous smile. The tension in the air seemed diffused, like the moment went rain began to fall in a storm. He smiled, and then moved to catch up with his dad. 

The door swung closed behind them, leaving the small waiting room without occupants, only filled with the faint hum of an electric heater.

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt I chose was: 
> 
> Kurt and Dave are trapped somewhere isolated because of a snow storm. Placed in s2, when Kurt is at Dalton but is not dating Blaine yet. They are forced to confront each other and talk of what they feel.
> 
> SamaraKurtofsky is fantastic. They write amazing fic, and so many of their posts make me laugh. I hope they're having a fantastic holiday season!


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